Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.

**This is a continuation of last chapter, Crime Alerts**

Gale's beaten up blue truck rolls to a stop outside the arts building like it does every Tuesday and Thursday evening, and Madge tightens the strap of her bag over her shoulder before crossing to it. She's spent so much time getting in and out of his truck these past couple of months that she has no difficulty opening the door and forcing it back into the frame, a feat that used to be impossible. He smiles at her as she throws her belongings on the floor and clicks her seatbelt into place.

"Long day?" he asks. She sighs heartily and his smile transforms into a smirk. Gale shifts the truck into drive and speeds away from the building. "Want to talk about it?"

"You figure the last day of class we would watch a movie or something," Madge murmurs, shaking her head as though it will stop her stemming headache. "But no. We took so many notes my hand is cramping." She holds it up for affect as if he can see the strained muscles through her skin.

Gale cocks an eyebrow. "I thought you were taking a piano class," he wonders.

"I am."

"Ah," Gale dips his head, understanding why this makes no sense to her whatsoever. Madge slumps backwards in her seat and tightly crosses her arms over her chest. Gale has some sort of band playing on the radio that she doesn't recognize and Madge tries to lose herself in the pulsating static, a distraction from the many thoughts tumbling through her head. "So," Gale reaches forward and cranks the volume down to nothing leaving Madge unable to effectively distract herself. "Did you pick your classes for next semester?" he asks.

"Mmf." Gale nudges her with his elbow and rolls to a stop at a red light. "What?" she groans.

"Well are you going to tell me what they are or will I have to guess?" he asks. Madge purses her lips. "You're leaving me no options here, Undersee."

"Then guess," she says, tightening her arms over her chest.

"Fine." Gale looks back up at the light which is still red, casting a pleasant glow across the hood of the truck. "You're probably taking Caramel Lattes 101, How to Walk in Heels 102, and Poetry for the Lonely Hearts 203."

He tilts his head back to her and finds her trying not to smile. "How'd you know?" Madge teases. Gale shrugs and smiles all his own, one bright and warm on this cold winter night. "I had to change my major," she finally admits, looking down at her lap. Her voice is filled with defeat and heartbreak, Gale immediately feels it in his stomach. "So I'll be over in the business building more often than not. No more arts classes for me."

"What? You didn't tell me that!"

"I didn't want to talk about it," she shrugs. The light changes to green but Gale is still looking at her. Madge gestures toward the streetlight. "It's green." She peers over at Gale who has never looked more upset in his life. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Gale frowns and presses on the gas, speeding through the light and to an empty parking lot down the street without saying a word. He's done it a few times before, pulled into an empty lot just so they could talk, but never has he seemed so distraught while doing so. "Gale?" He stops the car and throws it into park, unbuckling his seatbelt and shifting so he can face her directly. "What are you doing?" she asks, her voice with the tail ends of laughter hidden deep within while she sits up.

"You're going to be a fucking business major?" he barks. She flinches at the harshness of his tone. "Of all the things in the entire would, a business major? Jesus Christ, Undersee, are you kidding?"

"My dad doesn't think I'll make enough money in music education," Madge says quietly. "Business isn't awful."

"Okay, sure, it's not awful," Gale admits, "but do you really want to spend the rest of your life working with some tight-ass men who will never fully respect your opinion because you're a woman?"

Madge frowns and shifts in her seat to face him as well. "I'll make them respect me," she says strongly. She throws her hands up and tries to study the mysterious shades of his eyes. "Why are you so upset about this? It's my life, not yours." His hands clench and he lets out a short breath. "It's not my first choice, you're right, but it's not the end of the world."

"I want you to do something that makes you happy," Gale breathes.

Madge scoffs, "Well my life does not revolve around what you want, Gale Hawthorne!" He falls silent, his eyes locking with hers. The car is entirely too quiet, even the engine seems to be holding its breath. The question spills from her before she wonders if it makes her sound selfish or not, "Is this because you won't get to drive me home anymore?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he mutters, rolling his eye to add effect.

Her jaw drops slightly. "It is!"

"Madge," he warns. She's always loved the way her name sounds in his mouth. "The two topics are completely unrelated," Gale says pointedly.

She swallows back a smile that has wasted no time in forming. "Is that so?"

"That's so," Gale nods. "I'll find a way to get you back in my truck, you can count on that." Her heart leaps inside her chest at the way his eyes shine. "This changing what you're studying, though," Gale shakes his head. "It's absolutely mental."

"You're absolutely mental," she mutters. "You're studying physics."

"I like physics," Gale says. "And you like playing an abundance of instruments that make pretty music and working with children, which is why music education is the appropriate pathway for you and not fucking business." He stretches out his hand and grabs hers, sending a shockwave down her spine. "Did you even talk to your dad about it or did you just do what he said?" Gale asks. Madge drops her head guiltily. "I fucking knew it."

"You don't understand, Gale," Madge blurts, tears suddenly forming in her eyes. "My father, he's so hard to impress, I just want—"

"Madge," he cuts her off gently and inches closer. "I do understand. I've been driving you home for months now, I've picked up a few things here and there about your life, you know." She blinks back the stinging in her temples and forces herself to look up. "You're right, okay? I'll miss driving you home. I'll miss the way you ramble on about something you're excited about and the way chew on your bottom lip when you're nervous and the way my truck smells like vanilla after you leave, but that isn't the point."

Her voice is rough, "You'll miss me?"

"Probably a little bit," he shrugs noncommittally and rubs his thumb over hers. "But like I said, that isn't—"

"I'll miss this too," Madge murmurs. Gale sighs and twists his hand so their fingers are interlaced. She's spent all semester trying to figure out this feeling that Gale Hawthorne gives her and even with his hand in hers she can't put her finger on it. "I don't want to be a business major," she whispers

"You've got all of winter break to change your classes," Gale tells her. "Change them. Your dad'll understand. Just talk to him."

She's quiet for a moment. "I don't want to take any night classes, either," she adds. Gale chuckles and shakes his head. "Even if I do change back to music education you still wouldn't—" Madge is cut off when he leans down and kisses her, his lips warm and gentle against hers. She gasps into his mouth as he tugs her toward him, groaning when he realizes she's still got her seatbelt on and can't make it very far. "Gale," she pants as he reaches down for the buckle.

"Hm?" he looks up through his hair. "What?"

"I-I didn't, we, what?" Gale chuckles and they both fumble to get her seatbelt away from her. He pulls her toward him, one hand around her hips, and smiles brightly. "I didn't think you would ever do that," she says.

"Are you shitting me? I've wanted to do that since the first night I gave you a ride home." He shakes his head, leaning down and snatching a quick kiss. "God, you're an idiot." She opens her mouth to protest and he leans down again. The way he chuckles into her has her heart doing somersaults and her thoughts all a blur. When they part he continues burning kisses down her throat, Madge doesn't even know what to do with herself. "So maybe," Gale breathes into her neck, "instead of me driving you home after class," he pauses to look up, "I can drive you home after dates instead. Yeah?"

"Okay," she squeaks. He chuckles again and lifts his hands to her cheeks. "That sounds nice."

She changes her major that night when she gets home hours later, and calls her father in the morning. Next semester doesn't look so bad after all.

A/N: Large amount of people wanting a continuation so I went for it. Just a lil something!